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Newsworthy Clips: Germs are everywhere; most aren’t too harmful 虽然到处都有细菌，但其实大部分都并无大碍

 

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Germs are everywhere; most aren’t too harmful  虽然到处都有细菌，但其实大部分都并无大碍

 

Germs can kill you, but they probably won’t. That’s the reassuring news from Dr. Gordon Dickson, chief of infectious diseases at the University of Miami School of Medicine.

细菌可能会要了你的命，但也可能无害，这令人安心的消息是出自「迈阿密大学」医学院传染疾病主任葛登．迪金森博士之口。

 

Germs are everywhere, in and on virtually everywhere we touch. In reality, when we say “germs” in reference to things we fear, we’re talking about infectious agents like bacteria, viruses, fungi, protozoa and parasitic worms. Still other germs protect us from those infectious agents.

到处都有细菌，几乎我们所碰触到的任何东西上，都有细菌的踪迹。事实上，当人们提到「细菌」这个词时，往往意味着那些令人不寒而栗的传染病媒介，像是病菌、病毒、真菌、原生动物和寄生虫；不过，有些细菌其实反而能保护人类不受传染病媒介的侵害。

 

The distinction is important, considering that in the weeks after swine flu grabbed the spotlight, Dickinson heard from plenty of “germaphobes” afraid of what they might catch from the things they touch and the air they breathe. He offers an oddly comforting thought, recalling part of an answer he gave a friend who asked if it was OK to stick with a long-planned trip to Mexico the week after swine flu broke out: “We live in a microbial world. That’s not going to change.”

把无害细菌和有害细菌区分开来，非常重要。在备受瞩目的新流感爆发后的几周内，迪金森就接到一大堆恐菌人士的询问，因为他们担心可能会经接触或呼吸而感染到新流感。迪金森提出的建议令人安心，但却也不失古怪。据他回忆说，新流感爆发后的那周，有位朋友问他，应不应该依照规划已久的原定计划去墨西哥，结果迪金森回答：「我们本来就住在一个充满微生物的世界里，这点是永远都不会改变的事实。」

 

In spite of the recent hype, some of the worst bad-germ places aren’t in public at all, but rather in our homes and office spaces – baskets of clean laundry (when washed only in cold water; water must be at least 140 degrees [Fahrenheit] to kill dangerous bacteria), kitchen rags and sponges, bathroom doors, toothbrushes, hot tubs (where dangerous bacteria can stew), computer keyboards and remote controls.

尽管近来媒体大肆报导相关消息，但其实有害细菌最多的一些场所，并不在公共场所，而是在自家和办公室里──像是一篮篮洗好的衣服（只用冷水清洗衣物是无法杀死细菌的，因为水温必须达到华氏一百四十度以上才能杀死有害的病菌）、厨房里的抹布和海绵、浴室门、牙刷、热水浴缸（有害细菌可能会在闷热潮湿的环境中滋生）、电脑键盘和遥控器等，都有细菌存在。

 

Dickinson offers his reassurance while sitting in a Metrorail train. His seat, he notes, “was probably occupied by several people before me today. …. Could I pick up a germ on the seat of my pants? Yes. Can it travel with me to my office and be transferred to another chair that I sit in? Yes.”

迪金森是在坐在捷运车厢中时，提出令人安心的说法。他注意到，座位本身「今天在我之前可能已经有好几个人都坐过了…我有没有可能裤子上不小心沾到了座位上的一个细菌？答案是有可能，那么它有没有可能被我带进办公室，然后又被带到我坐的另一个位子上？当然也有可能。

 

But could he die from it? Could he get serious ill?

不过，这有可能令他致死吗？或是令他染上恶疾吗？

 

“Not likely,” Dickinson says.

「不太可能，」迪金森如此回答。

 

－by James Burnett

 

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reassuring [͵riəˋʃʊrɪŋ] adj. 令人宽慰的; 令人放心的，令人欣慰的

in reference to 关于, 与….有关 in connection with someone or something

protozoa [͵protəˋzoə] n.【动】原生动物类；单细胞动物类

parasitic [ˌpærəˈsɪtɪk] adj. 寄生的

swine [swaɪn] n. 猪

germaphobe [ˋdʒɝməˌfob] n. 有洁癖的人 This is an abnormal mental condition in a person characterized by an inflated or irrational fear of catching disease. People who go to extreme lengths to protect themselves from catching disease are said to be "germaphobic" .

oddly [ˋɑdlɪ] adv. 奇特地，古怪地

comforting [ˋkʌmfɚtɪŋ] adj. 令人欣慰的

microbial [maɪˋkrobɪəl] adj. 微生物的；细菌的

rag [ræg] n. 破布，碎布；抹布

reassurance [͵riəˋʃʊrəns] n. 安心, 放心, 再保证

 

 

 

 

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Pure new wool  纯净新羊毛

 

For centuries, the inhabitants of Scotland’s Outer Hebrides have hand-woven Harris Tweed, a dense woolen fabric, to keep out the biting North Atlantic wind and rain. By the mid-1960s, the foot-powered Hebridean looms were producing as much as 7.6 million meters of cloth every year. Then came the slump. As customers switched to lighter, more modern fabrics, annual output in 2008 sank to just 500,000 meters.

数世纪以来，苏格兰外赫布立群岛上的居民，世世代代都以手工编织哈里斯斜纹呢闻名，这种厚重的羊毛织品足以保护穿者抵御北大西洋的刺骨寒风和暴雨。到了一九六０年代中期，该群岛就靠着以脚踏为动力的赫布立织布机，布料总年产量达到七百六十万公尺。后来出现经济衰退，老主顾纷纷改买更轻盈、更现代化的布料，也使得二００八年产量下滑到仅五十万公尺。

 

But a start-up is weaving a profitable future for the sagging sector, with a client list that ranges from design giants Ralph Lauren, Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen to cool up-and-comers like Glasgow’s Deryck Walker.

不过，一家新创公司却为这个欲振乏力的业界编织出钱景看好的未来，而该公司客户名单除了时装大师洛夫．罗伦、薇薇安．魏斯伍德和亚历山大．麦昆之外，还有格拉斯哥出身、备受看好的新秀迪瑞克．华克。

 

The turnaround began in November 2007, when a new company called Harris Tweed Hebrides (HTH) bought and reopened a mothballed mill, and launches a bold, design-driven campaign to restore the cloth to popularity.

真正的转折点是发生在二００七年十一月，当时有家新成立的公司「哈里斯斜纹呢赫布立」（简称HTH）买下一座原已停工的纺织厂，并重新启用，还大胆展开强调设计性的营销活动，以促使这种布料重获大众欢迎。

 

So the company reached out to Walker, a 32-year-old Scottish rising star in fashion. Walker, who has worked at Versace and Boudicca believes that, with the right marketing and designer backing, Harris Tweed could become a luxury brand. So Walker commissioned four new patterns – including a black, blue, and yellow herringbone and a vibrant mustard and – black check – for his 2009/2010 autumn/winter menswear collection. His tweed pieces start at $750.

该公司也接洽三十二岁、被视为苏格兰明日之星的设计师华克。曾为凡赛斯和布迪卡效力的华克认为，只要有适当的营销手法，再加上设计师力挺，哈里斯斜纹呢一定能跻身高级品牌之林。因此，华克委托该公司生产四种新布样──包括黑色、蓝色、黄色鲱骨式图案和活力盎然的深黄色及黑色格子图案──并在他二００九年／二０一０年秋冬男性系列时装中采用，而他所设计的斜纹呢款式价格从七百五十美元起跳。

 

HTH has also teamed up with the Glasgow design consultancy Graven Images to develop home furnishings. The items, including a lampshade and a jumbo beanbag chair, premiered at last November’s 100% Design show in Tokyo.

HTH也已和格拉斯哥设计顾问公司「葛莱文影像」携手研发家具系列，包括灯罩、巨型懒人椅等家具都在东京去年十一月举行的「100%设计」展中首度亮相。

 

The fabric is “incredibly easy to accessorize,” says Graven Images director Ross Hunter. That’s because the yarn in Harris Tweed is spun from a blend of five or six differently dyed wools – a brown thread can contain speckles of indigo, orange, or mossy green. “You can put something bright in front of the tweed, and because the bright colors are already in there, it will really stand out,” he explains.

这款布料「非常好搭配」，「葛莱文影像」主管罗斯．杭特指出，这是因为哈里斯斜纹呢的纱线往往结合了五至六种不同颜色的羊毛──所以看起来是棕色的线，还可能含有靛蓝、橘色或苔绿色的羊毛在里头。「你可以把亮丽的布料搭配在斜纹呢前面，因为斜纹呢里头原本就已经含有那些亮丽色彩了，所以搭配起来会非常抢眼，」他解释说。

 

－by Theunis Bates

 

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keep out 抵御

loom [lum] n. 织布机

slump [slʌmp] n. 暴跌；下降；不景气

sagging [ˈsægɪŋ]  adj. 衰退的; 低落的; 减弱的 weakening

turnaround [ˋtɝnə͵raʊnd] n.（经济等的）突然好转；突然转坏

reach out 接洽; 试图沟通; 伸出求助之手 attempt to communicate

herringbone [ˋhɛrɪŋ͵bon] adj. 鲱骨式的，鱼脊形的，人字形的

mustard [ˋmʌstɚd] n. 芥末色，深黄色

check [tʃɛk] n. 方格图案；格子布

tweed [twid] n. 花呢套装

lampshade [ˋlæmp͵ʃed] n. 灯罩

beanbag [ˋbin͵bæg] n. 游戏用的装了豆子的小袋

accessorize [əkˋsɛsəraɪz] v.（以配件、装饰品等）补充，附加；给…装配附件

yarn [jɑrn] n. 纱，纱线

speckle [ˋspɛk!] n. 斑点；斑纹

indigo [ˋɪn͵dɪgo] n.【化】靛蓝，靛青；靛蓝染料

mossy [mɔsɪ] adj. 似苔的，苔状的

stand out 突出, 显着 to be distinctive or conspicuous

 

 

 

 

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Chemical compound could transform computing  可望改造运算界的化合物

 

Physicists at Stanford University have identified an important new trait of a chemical compound that could become an heir to silicon, perhaps transforming the computing industry. The researchers found that electrons in a chemical compound called bismuth telluride have a unique property: They can travel without resistance, losing no energy. This suggests that there might be a new way to carry more information than silicon-based chips can handle.

「史丹福大学」的物理学家已经从一种化合物中找到重要的新特性，不但可能取代硅的地位，甚至有可能改造整个运算界。研究人员发现，碲化铋这种化合物的电子，有一种特性：那就是它们能不受电阻地行进，而且不会丧失任何能量，这个发现代表的意义是，未来可能会找到携带更多信息的新方式，而其处理能力会比以硅为主的芯片更高。

 

It is one of many competing ideas in the search for new tools that could accelerate the development of even smaller, cheaper and more powerful computers.

为了能加速研发更小、更廉价、效力却更强大的电脑，各界无不绞尽脑汁竞相寻找新利器，以便达成上述目标。

 

“We’re at the very beginning of understanding this new class of materials,” said lead investigator Yulin Chen of Stanford Institute for Materials & Energy Science. “The next step is to apply what we’ve learned – to see if it can be fabricated and made functional.”

「我们才刚对这类新素材有所了解，」史丹福大学「素材与能量科学研究院」首席研究员陈育林（音译）指出，「而下一步，就是要把我们所知的实际运用出来──以便看看有没有可能把它制造出来，使其具有功能性。」

 

The new discovery uses electronic spin to carry information, part of a new field called spintronics. Spintronics takes electronics down to the quantum level. Because electrons don’t just carry charge – they also carry an “up” or “down” spin, which can be read as a binary pattern, they can be used to store information.

这项新发现利用电子自旋来携带信息，这属于自旋电子学这个新学门的范围。自旋电子学可以把电子往下带到量子的层级。由于电子不只能携带电荷──它们还带有上自旋和下自旋，可以被解读为二元的模式，还可进一步用来储存信息。

 

When voltage is put on top of Stanford’s new material, electronics flow without resistance. This approach to energy flow means lower power use, and makes it possible for smaller devices to process information.

当研究人员把电压放在「史丹福大学」研发出的新素材上时，电子会流动，却没有电阻，所以如果把这种方法运用在能量流上，就意味着可以节省能量的耗用，而且可望研发出更小型的器材来处理信息。

 

However, the material – shiny, reflective and black, grown in special campus furnaces – can only carry small currents so is not yet applicable. But it could pave the way for a paradigm shift in microchip development, according to team member Xiaoliang Qi.

只不过，目前这种素材──在校园里特制的熔炉所冶炼出来的闪亮、反射的黑色物质──还只能携带小电流，因此还无法量化应用。不过，据研究小组成员齐晓亮（音译）指出，这仍能为微芯片发展的重大变革铺路。

 

“This could lead to new applications of spintronics, or using the electron spin to carry information,” Qi said. “I’m optimistic it can lead to new devices, transistors and spintronics devices.”

「这还可能进一步酝酿出电子自旋学的新应用，或是利用电子自旋来携带信息，」齐晓亮指出，「我感到非常乐观，未来一定能藉以研发出新装置、晶体管和电子自旋装置。」

 

－by Lisa Krieger

 

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bismuth [ˋbɪzməθ] n.【化】铋

telluride [ˋtɛljʊ͵raɪd] n.【化】碲化物

fabricate [ˋfæbrɪ͵ket] v. 制造；组装

spintronics【电子】自旋电子学（旨在探索电子的量子性能以开发新一代电子设备的学科）

electronics [ɪlɛkˋtrɑnɪks] n. 电子学

quantum [ˋkwɑntəm] n.【物】量子

binary [ˋbaɪnərɪ] adj. 二元的；二进制的

furnace [ˋfɝnɪs] n. 火炉；熔炉; 加热器

pave the way for 为……铺路

paradigm [ˋpærə͵daɪm] n. 范例

transistor [trænˋzɪstɚ] n.【电】晶体管

 

 

 

 

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infectious [ɪnˋfɛkʃəs] adj. 传染的；传染性的 able to pass a disease to someone or something else

stick with 坚持(做…) to do as you had planned and not change to something else

hype [haɪp] n. 大肆宣传；天花乱坠的公开宣传 discussion about something in newspapers, on television, etc…, in order to attract everyone’s interest

stew [stju] v. 在闷热潮湿的环境中滋生 to form, through a long, slow simmering process, usually in a hot and humid environment

up-and-comer 有进取心的人，有前途的人; 处于上升期的新人 someone who is becoming more and more successful in a job

mothball [ˋmɔθ͵bɔl] v. 把(计划、设备等)束之高阁，暂停 to stop work on an idea, plan or job, but leave it in such a way that you can start on it again at some point in the future; put into long-term storage

commission [kəˋmɪʃən] v. 委托制作（或做等）to have a special piece of work done

premiere [prɪˋmjɛr] v. 初次上演 to make the first public performance

trait [tret] n. 特征，特点，特性 a particular characteristic that can produce a particular type of behavior

heir [ɛr] n.（传统、才能、性格等的）继承者 one that receives something that is passed along, such as a tradition or characteristic

resistance [rɪˋzɪstəns] n.（导体的）电阻; 阻力 the degree to which a substance prevents the flow of electricity through it

paradigm shift 范式转移; 典范转移 a change in the usual and accepted way of doing or thinking about something

 

 

The Making of Harris Tweed

 

 

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